Probate Attorney in El Monte, California

In El Monte, California, probate is the process through which a Court determines if a will is valid or not.

As part of this process, the El Monte, California probate court will determine the validity of the will, inventory the decedent's assets and debts, and then, finally, distribute the estate according to the will, assuming it is found to be valid.

Most wills name a specific person as the executor of the estate, but sometimes they don't, or the named executor is dead, out of the court's jurisdiction, or otherwise unsuitable to serve in this capacity. In these cases, a El Monte, California probate court has to appoint one.

Because the executor is responsible for truly initiating probate proceedings and seeing them to completion, the person chosen for this role is often the one who stands to inherit the most from the will - giving them an incentive to put in the necessary time and effort.

Duties of the Executor in El Monte, California

The executor has many duties concerning the will. First, they have to truly initiate the probate proceedings, which must be finished before the will is effectuated.

The executor also has to give those with a direct interest in the will notice that the decedent has died, by filing an official death certificate.

There may be several people who are entitled to take under a testator's will, with which the testator may have fallout out of touch years ago. This can make them challenging to find, but they need to be found, nonetheless. To that end, the executor is obliged to make a list of everyone who might be able to inherit, whether they're named in the will, or closely related to the testator. Additionally, they have to make known all of the decedent's major assets and debts.

Because the executor serves as the living symbol of the decedent's estate, they are solely responsible for proving the validity of the will. This is a lot of work, but because executors are typically chosen based on how much they stand to inherit from a will once its validity is confirmed, they have a good incentive to see the process to completion.

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How Can A El Monte, California Lawyer Help?

Because of the difficulties involved in probate, it would be smart to hire a knowledgeable El Monte, California probate lawyer, especially if you are the executor of an estate and unsure how to proceed.

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Life in El Monte

El Monte is near Los Angeles, California and home to approximately 113,475 residents. It is known as a friendly area that lies in the San Gabriel Valley region of east Los Angeles.

Popular attractions in El Monte are the American Heritage Park and Museum, Rose Hills Memorial Park, El Monte Historical Museum, Whittier Narrows Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, American Society of Military History, and The Rawhide Ponies.

Top employers in El Monte include Wells Fargo, Vons, Toyota, Lexus, Cathay Bank, and elementary and high school districts.

El Monte is home to many small law offices, with competent attorneys practicing in most areas of law. If need be, residents may look to larger firms located in Los Angeles as well. Overall, the legal force within and near El Monte, California is very strong and capable of handling all legal inquiries.